The present disclosure relates to a developer storage container for storing developer and an image forming apparatus mounted with the developer storage container.
An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet using developer is provided with a developer storage container such as a toner container. The toner container is a container for storing toner (developer) to be supplied to a developing device, and is detachably mounted in the image forming apparatus by a user. Generally, the toner container includes a container main body which serves as a toner storage space, a toner discharge opening provided at a suitable position of the bottom wall of the container main body and a conveyor screw for conveying the toner toward this toner discharge opening. Further, the conveyor screw is known to have a double structure composed of an inner side and an outer side.
In the case of arranging the conveyor screw having the double structure as described above in the toner container, the conveyor screw conveys the toner in a conveying direction toward the toner discharge opening and, simultaneously, conveys a part of the toner in a direction opposite to the conveying direction. In this case, the toner is conveyed in opposite directions near the outer periphery of the conveyor screw and in an inner part. Under a condition that the fluidity of the toner in the toner container is poor, the toner in a cylindrical space corresponding to a rotation area of the conveyor screw flows and the toner located outside that space is difficult to flow in some cases. As a result, there has been a problem that the toner in the toner container is aggregated in a tunnel-like manner around the conveyor screw.
To suppress such aggregation of the toner in the toner container, it is considered to provide a flexible member extending radially outward from the conveyor screw. In this case, the toner around the conveyor screw is agitated with the rotation of the flexible member to suppress the aggregation of the toner. However, in the case of arranging the flexible member, the flexible member tends to wind around an outer peripheral part of the conveyor screw with the rotation of the flexible member. As a result, the interior of the conveyor screw is partly sealed by the flexible member, causing a problem that the toner inside is retained.
An object of the present disclosure is to suppress the retention of developer in a rotary member in a developer storage container provided with the rotary member having a double structure and a flexible member projecting radially outward from the rotary member.